Gambian Minister of Health Amadou Samateh has on Tuesday evening confirmed that the Gambia has recorded its first case of coronavirus after a Gambian lady who returned from UK tested positive for the virus .
Samateh said: “We would like to inform the public of a confirmed case of COVID-19 who is currently in isolation and receiving excellent medical care at the Medical Research Council clinic in Fajara.”
Samateh said this is different from the two suspected cases from Indonesia that tested to be negative.
He added: “This announcement marks the first case of COVID-19 in The Gambia. This particular confirmed case is a lady in her 20s who returned to the country on Sunday from UK through the Banjul International Airport.”
According to Samateh, a day after arrival, she started to have fever and decided to self-isolate at home. She reported to the MRC under isolation and was tested and was confirmed to be positive, he said.
Minister Samateh said the ministry of health in collaboration with the Medical Research Council has started the process of contact tracing and will endeavour to reach all contacts especially those in the same flight with her.
